Christmas in Scanner Range
by kittgirl23
Summary: It's Christmas, what's wrong Michael?


Christmas in Scanner Range  
  
Knight Rider characters copyright Glen A. Larson  
  
A tall Christmas tree nearly touched the ceiling of the FLAG mansion. Tiny lights decorated the outside and inside of the large complex. It was the twentieth day of December and the holiday feeling was etching into the hearts of the members of the Foundation. All except one. Michael Knight stood silently by himself and gazed into the crackling flames of one of the old building's many fireplaces. Usually one of the most outgoing members of the FLAG team had been unusually silent this December. Michael sighed and closed his eyes. Why was it so hard this year?  
  
"Bonnie! Be caref.!" Kitt was too late. Bonnie had been putting up decorations in the garage where Kitt received his maintenance. One of the red Christmas tree balls had rolled unnoticed right into Bonnie's path. "Whoooo!" Decorations flew in an arch as Bonnie stepped on the ball and slipped. She fell rather unceremoniously onto her behind. "Bonnie! Are you hurt?" Kitt had to ask, even though he had already scanned her to see if she had been injured. The scan had been negative. Bonnie sat up, snatched the offending red ball and tossed it up catching it as is came back down. "Yes, Kitt. I'm fine. Just pays to be more careful." Getting up, she continued with the decorations. "I'm sorry I left the decorations in here until last minute, Kitt. It's just that the annual FLAG Christmas banquet decorations came first. Devon was adamant about it." "Kitt's scanner moved slowly to and fro on his prow. "No apology needed, Bonnie. It is a nice gesture though I do not require all of these decorations here." Bonnie merely smiled. Kitt was quick to devalue himself when it came to participating in the yearly celebrations. They had had that argument before. She decided to change the subject. "Where's Michael? He's usually the picture of Christmas spirit. I haven't seen him around. Usually he's getting on my nerves giving me advice on how to hang the decorations." Kitt ran a quick scan. "Michael's location is on the second floor of the main building. Now that you mention it, he has been rather quite. He hardly said two words to me when we were coming home from our last assignment." Bonnie finished with the decorations and sat down on Kitt's hood to admire her handiwork. The flickering red, green and white lights reflected off of Kitt's MBS. "Something's bothering him, Kitt. I'm gonna find out what it is." With that she gave Kitt's hood a pat and left to find Michael.  
  
Bonnie found Michael facing the flames. His back was to her and he was fingering one of the stockings hung on the mantel. "Michael?" Michael jumped slightly, quickly ran a hand across his face and turned around to face Bonnie. Even though he smiled, Bonnie was shocked to notice that he seemed to have been crying. "Bonnie, what can I do for you?" Bonnie crossed the room and looked up at Michael: "Is something wrong?" Michael turned back to the stockings. He ran his hand over the names on the stockings: Devon, Bonnie, Michael, Kitt. "No, Bonnie, not really. It's just these names.this time of year." He turned quickly to face her. "I think I'm gonna take a drive. Clear my head, you know." With that he turned and walked out. Bonnie was about to protest, but if something was bothering Michael, Kitt was the best individual for him to talk to. She moved over to the window. She wanted to see the two partners heading out. She watched Michael exit the main house and walk towards the garage. But instead of going in he walked past Kitt's garage and went into the garage where they kept a couple of the Foundation's extra cars. She watched as a grey sedan pulled out of the garage. Michael had not taken Kitt? WHY!?!  
  
Kitt's scanner picked up Michael as soon as he had exited the main building. He seemed to be coming to the garage. Wait, he was turning. Kitt tracked Michael's progress. He walked to the safe, where the keys were kept, keyed in an access code and walked to one of the sedans. As Kitt watched, his partner, who hadn't used a FLAG reserve car, since Kitt had been incapacitated, keyed the ignition and sped out of the Foundation's grounds. Bonnie rushed into the garage. Kitt's scanner tracked at a last pace as he attempted to compute why his partner of five years had decided to leave him. "Bonnie?" Bonnie rushed to Kitt's driver's side door and jumped inside. "Kitt, something's really wrong. He wouldn't talk to me but he had been crying. I think he needs a friend, even though it's unlikely he would admit it." Each of the Foundation's cars had a homing device and it was onto that device that Kitt latched a link to. "He is moving at a considerable speed. Bonnie, I have to go after him, but if he didn't wish to talk to you, nor me." Bonnie pressed a few buttons and ran a quick check on Kitt's systems with that she got out and opened the garage door for Kitt. "Go on Kitt. Christmas is a time when family should be together. Bring Michael back to us for Christmas." Kitt ignitiated the engine and left the Foundation grounds to follow his partner and to find out just what was bringing Michael's holiday cheer down.  
  
Michael's driving had slowed down and Kitt had no trouble following his partner. He had tried contacting Michael on his comlink, but had been brushed off with a curt, "Not now Kitt, I'm busy." Kitt hadn't had time to respond before Michael had cut the transmission. At first Kitt thought Michael was driving around aimlessly but suddenly watched as Michael's car stopped. Within seconds Kitt understood. Or at least he thought he did. He had stopped outside the Long residence. The home of his parents, whom he had been forced to leave behind.  
  
Michael pulled the grey sedan up to the curb directly opposite of his parent's house. It had felt strange driving the sedan. He had gotten so used to Kitt. Michael continued gazing at the house. It looked so familiar. He looked down the street and remembered his father teaching him how to ride a bike. i "Go on, you can do it Mike! I'm letting go now. hey you're riding a bike!" /i He could still remember his father's voice as if it had been yesterday. The house had been decorated for Christmas. Tiny lights ran around the edge of the roof and a wreath hung on the door. Headlights flashed behind him and he glanced at the rear-view mirror. The headlights were switched off but a brilliant red scanner was tracking back and forth. Kitt. With a glance at his home he got out, walked to Kitt and sat down in the driver's seat. It felt familiar, warm comfortable. "Let me guess: the homing device?" "At first." Kitt agreed. "But I should have known you'd come here. Eventually." Michael's brow furrowed as he looked at the voice box. "What'd you mean, Kitt?" Kitt's scanners followed Michael's gaze towards his parent's house. "It's been five years. It's your fifth Christmas away from your parents. I should think that would mean something to a human. A milestone of some kind." Michael was surprised. "It's been five years.so long." Kitt remained silent. A tear formed at the corner of his eye. "Yeah, Kitt. I guess it is a milestone of some kind. I hadn't even thought about it that way. This Christmas just felt different somehow. And when I saw those stockings at the mansion. I remembered those kinda stockings with the names Mom, Dad and Michael on them." "This is quite complex, Michael. I have had the conversation I am now contemplating on having with you before. The roles were reversed though." "How's that Kitt? What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about Christmas, the meaning of it. I had this conversation with Bonnie a while ago, but I was on the receiving end of it. Michael, you're thinking about your family. Wondering about why to celebrate Christmas if you can't celebrate it with your family." The tears were falling freely now. Kitt upset Kitt to see his partner distressed but he continued on his line of thought anyhow. "I don't see Christmas as humans do. I know the stories behind the celebration. I know the myths about Santa Claus. Bonnie told me that the true meaning of Christmas wasn't JUST to be with your family, but with the people you care about. Michael, don't you wish to spend Christmas with people who care about you?"  
  
Michael's gaze had stayed on the house but he had heard every one of Kitt's words. They touched him somewhere deep. A curtain moved. "Kitt, zoom in on that one window, the far left one would you?" Kitt obeyed. Michael watched as his mother moved the curtains back. She put a single candle on the windowsill and lit it. A sad smile played at her lips and her mouth moved. "What did she say, Kitt? Could you read her lips?" Kitt was silent for a short while. "Yes, I could. She said: "Merry Christmas, Michael."  
  
His eyes had just about dried, but Kitt's words brought the tears right back. He watched as his mother glanced up at the stars and turned around. Maybe Michael Long was there, with his family having Christmas dinner. Michael Knight however was expected for Christmas dinner elsewhere. Smiling he hit Kitt's start button. "Let's go pal. There's loved ones waiting for us." They left the Foundation's grey sedan by the curb. Someone would pick it up later. As for the two partners, they left the curb quietly and headed home. To share the spirit of Christmas with those whom Christmas was meant for. Friends and loved ones.  
  
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2002! 


End file.
